Stockton

Several years ago, two of my colleagues in Sacramento were planning to pursue their doctoral degrees.  On a fluke, I joined them.

I have known more than my fair share of educated fools, and I didn't want to fall into this category, even accidentally.

However, thinking that it would help in pursuing other avenues in education, I enrolled with my buddies at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.

Stockton can best be described as a blue collar town, that stinks to the high heavens as you're driving to it, and also in the beautiful, newly renovated downtown area.  Going south from Sacramento you pass a dairy farm, so I get the funk there, but downtown?  PeeYuwee!

I thought about Stockton today because I saw that the great jazz musician, Dave Brubeck, passed away.  He was from Stockton.

My experience with the town/city was not a pleasant one.

Although I'm not an education snob, I thought the intellectual conversation at the doctoral level would be enriching and fulfilling.

Boy, was I wrong.

First of all, the teaching staff was small, only 4-5 folks would be teaching all of the classes that we would be required to take.

Even that would be bearable, if the folks were engaging and openminded.

They were not.

Now, you might say that I have this funky attitude towards the place because after a 1.5 years, I dropped out.

I'm proud of my buddies who succeeded in muddling through the nonsense to complete the program.

At my age, sitting in a class, I question everything.  That's how I learn.  Some folks, of the small-minded variety, are intimated by that.  What they say should be considered gospel, with no questions asked.

I learned the hard way that when you piss off small-minded people, they do small-minded things to retaliate.

It is what it is, and life goes on.

Do I reget not completing the program?

No.

I think I would have been content in that world, and it was only with the stirring of discontent, that I sought after and found this dream job.

So remember, if you're ever driving through Stockton, keep your windows up, drive fast, and listen to Take Five by Dave Brubeck.

Oral Surgery

I have few regrets in my life, but not taking care of my teeth is definitely one of them.

When I was growing up, we only visited the dentist when we were in pain, and the usual remedy was extraction.

Having grown up with this mindset, you would think, somewhere along the way, I would have recognize this was not the best in dental care.

I did, but not to the degree that I should have.

Thankfully, Ben and Frankie received better dental care, but it was still lacking the optimal attention it deserved.

At 53 years old, I got braces, in preparation for serious dental work.  The rationale was to strengthen my teeth before the extensive other work.

Two years later the braces came off, and the restoration was beginning, when I was hired for this job.  So, I sent out of the orthodontist's door with the directive to wear my retainers 24/7 so my teeth wouldn't shift back to their original crooked places.

Being the good girl that I am, I followed doctors orders.

A mild, irritating off and on toothache caused me to visit the dentist here, and after that issue was taken care of, the massive restoration work began.

Hence, the oral surgery.

The dentist was great and the procedures went well, but . . .

Thank God for drugs!

I don't understand folks shy away from drugs that can ease the pain.  I know what pain feels like, and I'm never anxious to feel it again.

But, of course, to each his own.

As I've mentioned before, the local folks here fall into two categories - those teenagers and young adults in braces, and the kids and old folks with rotting teeth. This is fascinating because medical and dental care is free to all nationals.

Here's to happy brushing, flossing, and deep cleaning.

If You Knew This Was the End . . . Part 3

This one brought back some tough memories, but it is filled with hope.  It was also taken from an article by June Cohen, in the Huffington Post.  It's 19 minutes long.

Here's the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX32U_hfri4

If You Knew This Was the End . . . Part 2

This was taken from an article by June Cohen, in the Huffington Post.  It's six minutes long.

Here's the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGalW9iK2tI

If You Knew This Was the End, What Would You Do?

This was taken from an article by June Cohen, in the Huffington Post.  It's five minutes long.

If this doesn't work, here is the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_zk2DpgLCs

Favorite Places

Without a doubt, Jordan stands out as one of my favorite places.  The only downside is it's the most expensive place I've visited thus far.  One hundred US dollars is equivalent to 70 Jordanian Dinar, or 367 AED, the currency here in the UAE.

Second on my list of favorite places is Thailand.  The culture was intriguing.  The people were very warm and welcoming, and it was the cheapest place, too.  One hundred US dollars is equivalent to 3,071Baht.

More pictures from Jordan.

This is the remains of a monument dedicated to Hercules.
It was destroyed in a massive earthquake years ago.

This monument was erected in remembrance
of the visit to Mt. Nebo in 2000 by Pope John Paul.

Mount Nebo is owned by the Catholic Church and is maintained by a sect of the Franciscan Priests.  There is a church at the top of the mountain that is under renovation.  It dates back hundreds of years.

The Abdoun Bridge in Amman.  It's beautiful!
The sides lean out forming a V-Shape.

This photo I found online, taken at night.

Also from online, this photo of the Dead Sea.

Parting Thoughts . . . Mostly Random

I was surprised to see a Safeway Supermarket in Jordan.  I also saw McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Burger King here, and everywhere else I've traveled.

911 is the number to call in an emergency in Jordan.  In the UAE, it's 999.

The drivers, like their personas elsewhere, are polite.  Folks yielded to each other, waving people onto the road in front of them.  There was almost no horn blowing.  Compared to Egypt and India, this was extraordinary.

The folks drive like we do in the US, on the same side of the road.  You could rent a car here and not feel threatened.

Some of the homes are enormous.  What was interesting about most was that the front doors were clear glass, like you see at malls and offices.  You walk through that, then you get to the front doors.  A novel concept for homes.

The dirt throughout Jordan is a rich, red clay.  So pretty, you want to stop and play in it.

Grape, fig, olive and pomegranate trees are prevalent throughout this country.

Corn is planted around the perimeter of the gardens, acting as a natural fence.

There is a huge Christian Church that sits across the street from the largest mosque in the area.  No problems at all.

In general, Arab men who wear the head covering, toss it back out of their face like girls with long hair toss theirs.

Only the men who live the nomadic life wear the long robes here.  And they are not white, but black or brown.

Finally, if you use a wash cloth, it is rare to find them in international hotels.  I carry my own so that I'm sure to have one.

Checking out.

More soon.

Jordan, Day 2

Today was just as meaningful and insightful as yesterday.

I visited the Amman Citadel, which is a fort like compound that has historic artifacts dating back thousands of years.

Next stop was Mount Nebo, which is believed to be the mountain that Moses stood on when he peered over to the Promise Land.  The West Bank of Jerusalem can be seen below, as well as the Jordan River, which flows into the Dead Sea.

This is on Mt. Nebo.
Jerusalem can be seen in the distance behind me.

The video was taken at the Dead Sea.  There are beautiful hotels that have recently been built.  It appears Jordan is trying to capitalize on its popularity.  Half of the sea is in Jordan, the other half in Israel.  The Dead Sea is almost 1400 feet below sea level.  It is the lowest area in the world.  The ride down to it was an ear-popping, narrow, winding trek.

Side note - I was hoping to get into Israel, and probably could have with my US passport, but time ran out.  I would not have been able to get back into the UAE though, if an Israeli stamp appeared in my passport.  It would have to be stamped on a piece of paper that could be removed.

Side note 2 - More black folks.  Swimming in the Dead Sea.

This whole area was built around, and in some cases, built into, the rolling mountain ranges.  In fact, downtown Amman sits in a deep valley, with the neighborhoods forming in the hills surrounding it.

Below are some pictures of the streets of Amman.

Enjoy.

Getting Here

Just some thoughts about what I experienced getting to Jordan.

Normally, I fly out of Dubai, and occasionally out of Abu Dhabi, but this flight departed from the city/state of Sharjah.

What was fascinating to see as we drove through this city, was the complete lack of glitz. In fact, by comparison to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, it was almost run down.

I've described Dubai as the flashy sister, and Abu Dhabi as the protective big brother.  The black sheep of the family comes to mind when I think about Sharjah. The ruler here must have missed the memo about the oil income.  The airport, although international, looked like a small rundown regional airport in the US.

Forrest made an interesting comment about this.  He said that it could be that the ruler/people in Sharjah have made a conscious effort to keep things the same, without going over to the "dark side" of commercialism.

Side note:  Black sheep.  The dark side.  Devil's food cake.  Black Widow.  Notice how many references infer that being black is bad?

The flight over was on Air Arabia.  This was the first time I'd flown with this airline. What was really cute was the safety video.  It featured kids in all of the roles - pilot, flight attendants and passengers.  When they talked about floor lighting in the event of an emergency, a kid crawled on the floor to show you.  When they referred to your safety vest being under your seat, there was a kid poking his head out from that very spot.

Really, really cute.

Observations about Jordan -

The landscape is different from other places in the Middle East.  The miles and miles of sand is rocky, giving it a speckled appearance.

When we were in Petra yesterday, we were less than 20 miles from the Gaza Strip.

Although there is conflict all around, the Jordanians live in peace.  I asked about the influx of Syrian refugees, and how the people felt about that, and the response was, "We welcome them."  Everyone is welcome here, no matter the circumstances that brought them.

English is spoken by most, as it is the official language after Arabic.  All of the road signs and business names are in both languages, like in the UAE.  That is most helpful.

Side note 2 - There were about a dozen tourist busses visiting Petra.  As we were leaving, a bus load of black folks arrived.  I chatted briefly with one lady when I asked if they were from the US.  They were.  I'm guessing they may have been a church group, as this area has so many religious connotations.

Side note 3 - Forrest gave me a crash course in putting my pictures in iPhoto on my Macbook laptop.  What a treat that was!  It was like seeing them for the first time because I only post a select few.  I'd forgotten about many of the others.

Today is a full day of sightseeing.  Tomorrow I return home, with a day of rest before returning to work.

Good night to you.

Good morning to me.

Genuine Jordanians

I've been blessed to meet some great people in my travels, but the Jordanians have proven to be the warmest, kindest, and friendliest of all.

When we landed, I searched for someone holding up a sign with my name.  No luck. There was a guy holding a sign facing himself, that I couldn't read it.  When I inquired, still no luck, but he asked to see my paperwork, made some calls, and helped me to get a cab, and told me how much I could expect it to cost.  I offered to pay him for his help, but he simply said, "Welcome to our country."

It was almost midnight.

The cab driver asked if I had a prearranged tour guide.  I did not.  So we arranged for him to be my guide for the next two days.

Today we drove south to the city of Petra, famous for its mountains, and the amazing architecture cut into the mountains.

This is an incredible sight of the city below.
The picture doesn't do it justice.

Look at the sky.  It was a perfect day.

You have to believe in God when you see this.
Amazing!

This is carved into the mountain.
Incredible!

Thank God for Internet service, but uploading the pictures is taking a while.  I'll upload more when I get home.

More soon.

Celebrations

National Day, coming up on December 2nd, commemorates the 41st birthday of the UAE with a country-wide party that will go on for days.

Everybody and everything is wrapped in the flag colors of red, black, green and white.  T-shirts, hats, pins, dresses, scarves, jewelry, boas, and everything else you can imagine that can be worn as a show of pride, is being worn and on full display for the world to see.

This is at the assembly yesterday.
It's a sea of dark-haired girls.

Buildings and homes all over the city have huge flags tied to their sides for maximum visibility.

The palm trees that line so many of the medians, have colored lights on their trunks. You guessed it - they are either red, green or white.

You know the Puerto Rican Parade in New York City and how flamboyant it can be? These celebrations make that look like a bourgeois, black-tie event.

Our students have been working for weeks on songs and dances.  We got a preview of their efforts yesterday when the whole school - first the boys, then the girls - watched the dress rehearsals.  It was festive, colorful, and full of high energy.  Think of the hardest rock songs you've ever heard, add Arabic language, and keep it pumping for two hours.  That's what it sounded like.

Remember, I've mentioned before, the music played at school is on full blast.

Always.

I will miss the biggest celebrations as I'm leaving in a couple of days headed to Jordan for the long weekend.

My new set of luggage arrived and they are packed, standing ready to go.

I've got to get to bed now.

Good night to me.

Good morning to you.

Reading Aloud

Check this out.  From Andrew Sullivan's blog, The Dish.

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/11/the-intimacy-of-reading-aloud-ctd.html

Doesn't it sound like fun?

Scary and Crazy

I like going to the movies.

But, I don't like scary ones.  Why would I pay someone to scare me?

That's nuts.

Speaking of nutty, I don't like movies about crazy folks either.  There have been enough in my world where I've seen crazy up close and personal, so usually, I don't pay to see that.

Today was an exception.

I saw "Silver Lining Playbook."

It just crazy enough where you got the point, but no so crazy that they go off the deep end.

So, it gets my seal of approval.

Which is worthless, but it gets it anyway.

Hope this holiday weekend has been grand.

More soon.

Two New Words

I learned two new words today -

fulcrum - a prop or support

and

harbinger - anyone or anything that foreshadows a future event

Thanks to Dictionary.com

Thankful for Divorce

Let me begin by saying I'm not advocating divorce, but simply sharing how my life has changed, and why it was the best decision I ever made.

As in any relationship, and especially in marriage, there is compromise.

Ying and yang.

Give and take.

Allowances made to keep the peace.

The problem creeps in when the balance is consistently off, and there is way more giving than taking.

When you live your life the way someone else thinks you need to live it, always trying to please the other person, that can lead to problems.

For me, divorce was a breakthrough.  It was the opportunity to discover who I was - the good, bad and the ugly - and to live my life trying to please only one person - me.

When I discovered who I was, I made a conscious decision to like me.  Even the parts of me that I was working on.

I still have a critical eye when it comes to myself, but I see it as the need for personal growth, not as part of a condemnation plot where I need to beat myself up because I'm not measuring up, in someone else's eyes.

So, some of you may be thinking - do I regret getting married in the first place?

Absolutely not.  That journey led to Ben and Frankie, and I'm most proud of them.

I stayed in this marriage as long as I did in large part because of them.  (Hey guys.  Don't trip.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat. ).  I wanted them to have the benefit of having their father in their lives for as long as possible. He was a much better parent than husband.  Of course, he could say the same about me, and would probably be right.

Truth be told, maybe it have had nothing to do with Ben and Frankie.  Maybe it was just me, scared to death to step out on my own, even though, unlike many in my position, I had options because I had a degree, and could find work.

I swore growing up that I wouldn't do what my Mom did, and stay in a toxic relationship.

Never say never.

You do what you feel have to do to make the most of a bad situation.

Then, if you're lucky, you escape and move on.

I was very lucky.

Amarillo, Texas

This city is infamous for several things including the Oprah trial, KKK rallies, and this:

Cadillac Ranch

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2220

My oldest brother lived in Amarillo for years.  When Forrest and I visited him, we saw this.  It is as bizarre in real life, as it looks in these pictures.

Side note - the owner/millionaire has recently been accused of child molestation.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/us/stanley-marsh-cadillac-ranch-owner-accused-of-sexual-abuse.html?_r=1&

Also in Amarillo - 

The largest (or maybe it's the second largest?) cross in the western hemisphere.

Groom, Texas

It can be seen for miles and miles.

A pretty incredible site, whatever your beliefs.

Be Careful How You Treat Folks

A cautionary tale from hotel employees.

Hint . . . be nice.

From Salon.com

http://www.salon.com/2012/11/21/yes_the_hotel_clerk_hates_you/?source=newsletter

This Is How We Do It

There was a festive mood at school today, as the ex-pats filled the corridors with Happy Thanksgiving greetings.

The race to the parking lot at the end of the day was colorful to watch.  Gratefully, we were all able to leave early.

This was a different week, and the next one is sure to bring surprises, too.  We celebrate the 41st birthday of the UAE, and boy what a party it's sure to be.

Randomly, this past Tuesday was chosen as Parent/Teacher Conference Day.  The report cards won't go out until January, but the conferences were this week. 

Go figure.

Interestingly, for all of you teachers out there that are used to a sacred block of time to get these meetings done, that is not they way we do it here.

In fact, there were no appointed times for individual Moms to visit, they just all showed up in the classrooms, all at the same time, all wanting to hear how their kids were coming along.  Although we tried to have one at a time go in the classroom, and have the others wait in chairs outside the door, that was an exercise in futility.

This is a bum rush culture, through and through.

What is really intriguing is how concerned the Moms were, not just their child, but others as well.  They expected to get a detailed report on how every student in the class was doing, in addition to their own.

The sense of privacy is foreign here.

I noticed this early on when I went to the doctor.  It didn't take much effort to hear the other patients' concerns who were in rooms around me.  If I spoke the language, I'd really have been in the know.

As I've mentioned before, all the parents expect their child(ten) to get A's, whether they do A work or not.  If they don't get these A's, the fault lies with everyone and everything, except the child.

There was an eye-opening statistic in the paper not long ago, that showed that 80% of the students pass the mandated state-wide tests, but only 12% of the graduating seniors are ready for college.

A total disconnect.

The real question that needs to be asked is "why?"

In spite of these issues, or maybe because of them, this remains a mesmerizing place to be.

Side note - all of the ex-pat kids have to attend private schools.  The government schools like mine, only admit local nationals.  We have a handful of students from Oman, the country next door, but I'm not sure why they get a pass to attend.

Side note 2 - Yesterday, I failed to mention my thanks and gratitude for a dear friend who commented on the "Living With A Drunk" post.  She reminded me that, chances are very good, my father was doing the best he could, given the skill set he possessed. There's a lot of truth to that.  And just recognizing that fact, takes the sting out of the memories.

Thanks to all of you who comment, question, and push back on things I've share. That really makes this fun.

As you gather together with family and friends, be safe, have fun, and somebody out there, eat a slice of sweet potato pie for me . . .

Your blogging buddy

Anniversary

Today marks a year I've lived in the UAE.

And . . .

What a year it has been!

Although this blog is great for keeping in touch, it also serves as a log for the many experiences I've had.  

In many ways, it feels like I've been here a lot longer than a year.  Maybe because it took three months on the front end before I was OK'd to leave.  Or it might be because I have covered a lot of ground since arriving.

It is fitting though that this anniversary comes on the eve of Thanksgiving.

So, please allow me to share some of the things I'm thankful for.

I'm grateful for a wonderful, supportive group of guys I call family.  Without their support, this would have been a lot harder to do.

I'm grateful for the amazing women my sons married, and the joy they have brought to them.

I'm grateful for Zadie Faye and her little cousin who is on the way.  What a blessing they are!

I'm grateful for friends who didn't share their doubts with me about this voyage I was undertaking, but instead plowed in and helped me anyway, to get packed and on my way.

I'm grateful for doors that closed, and for the other ones flinging open wide, ushering in new adventures.

I'm grateful that I'm free of sickness, disease and ailments of any kind.

I'm grateful for the opportunities to explore the world around me, making dreams come true.

I'm grateful that on most days I choose to forgive.  And I'm grateful that the days that I struggle with this are getting fewer and fewer.

And . . .

Finally, I'm thankful for you.

I'm so grateful you take the time to read, browse, or simply check in to see that all is well.  Thank you for allowing me to share my experiences with you.  I'm often asked if I miss having someone to share this time with, and I then I tell them about you.  Reminding them, and myself, that I'm never alone.

I have you.

And I'm eternally grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Do Not Buy Samsonite Luggage!

I'm so disappointed in the bags I purchased FOUR MONTHS AGO!  The zipper broke on one of them.  I returned it to the Samsonite store where I purchased it because it was still under warranty.  It was then I was told the zippers were not covered.  I authorized it to be repaired anyway, but it could not be fixed.

I need luggage, so I inquired about purchasing another one to replace it.  I asked about a discount, and was offered 10% off.

Really?  To buy another bag from your company, to replace the one that lasted FOUR MONTHS?

Uh . . . no, thanks.

So, I've washed my hands of them.

Then I went online and ordered another set from my favorite store, Amazon.