UAE Photos

Eid Holidays

Hi Guys:

Sam and I are reporting in from RAK. We are on week 6, with no school opening in sight, as of yet. Ramadan will be over next Wednesday, and boy, am I ready. First, it is not so safe to drive now from about 5 to 6:30 in the evening, as everyone is rushing home for Iftar, the breaking of the fast. Second, it is very, very hard to get things done this month. I continue to not have internet because the people at Etisalat, the phone company here, all go home by 1 p.m. each day, so there is some kind of huge backlog of people waiting. I am one of many. My friend Tara asked me in an email if I am becoming less American in my approach to this experience. In this one way I am. I will get internet at home when I get it, and not before, so I have stopped stressing out about it. I just go up to the hotel, or over to a friend's, and use internet when I have the opportunity.

Yesterday everyone in my group went on a desert safari for Iftar. We woke up that morning and Sam had a bad cold, so I bowed out. I felt bad when everyone came back and said what fun they'd had, but sometimes you just have to miss stuff. Sam feels better today. We are on Eid holiday, which signifies the end of Ramadan. Sam is out of school for a week and two weekends. I am not expected to go into the office. It is sort of like a fall break. I am trying to save money, so we didn't plan any exotic holiday. Bethany and Sam and I are going to go up to Oman for two nights and two days to visit Musandam, which is the town at the northern tip of this peninsula on which we live.

Sam is relieved to have a few days off. He has a truly daunting package of homework for the holidays. There are twelve sheets, many having to do with writing in cursive, or double-digit addition, or multiplication. Right now they are working on the three times tables. It is weird. It is like I am tutoring him at home because he skipped a grade. That is what it feels like. The work is WAY, way harder. I want to get to the bottom of this. Is this because the British Curriculum is that much harder than ours, or is this the result of Sam going to a private school, where expat and local kids are challenged more because they come from monied parents who push their kids harder and expect more? In any case, I try to help Sam understand complicated addition and multiplication by setting up long lines of uncooked spaghetti shells. Bethany has tutored him in her flat as well, but she indulged him more, and allowed him to "flick" the noodles after he counted them, which was extremely satisfying to Sam. When Sam has finished three pages of homework, the most he can possibly hack in one day, I give him money for cake, and off he goes to the fort.

The tragic news is Sam's dear friend Mohammed, manager of the Al Hamra taxis, was relieved of his post. Since he was the one who had declared that Sam was assistant manager, we both fear that Sam has also lost his job. Sam declares that the new manager is not as nice, and that "the company is no longer kid-friendly," his exact words. So, instead of regally riding around in the resort taxis, Sam is once again going to be dependent upon his bike.

My friend Bethany is patienlty waiting for me to finish so we can start calling Oman hotels. I wish I weren't in such a news vacuum, but I did hear that Obama was 8 points ahead in the polls, so that gives me hope. Sam and I miss you guys. Brother Ted and Uncle Clayton will be visiting for three days in early October, and Ryer is planning to come to India over the Chrtistmas break. My cousin Lizzie will be here in early December. Visitors are welcome! We miss our family, friends, cats and Colorado, in that order. It is REALLY dry and sandy here, but I knew that... Sam really likes it, though he may change his mind once he experiences the full reality of his demotion.

Hugs to all,

Lucy and Sam

Sam Rocks RAKESS

Sam is really enjoying his school, Ras Al Khaimah English Speaking School (RAKESS). He missed the first two weeks, but not too much content. Today, when I watched him scooter to the elevator in his long, powder blue shorts and white collar shirt and new black backpack, I thought he looked so grown up. He scooters two blocks in the morning to Kulsum's house. They drive him to school and back in that fancy BMW SUV. The kids watch movies in the car on the way to school. She picks him up at the end of the day too. I feel very lucky. I have given her that big, beautiful tablecloth (Ted and Clayton, I will get you something else and better for Christmas) to thank her, and as an early Eid present. Really, Sam would not be in school if it weren't for her.

He came home with a homework packet that is due in a week. He was proud of the fact that he has homework. He is also very proud of his fancy black school shoes, and he has borrowed shoe polish from the cleaners at the fort, and he polishes his shoes each night before school. Since we have our membership cards (which allow for multiple pool and gym use and big discounts on site), I decided to have a little birthday party up at the fort. Tomorrow we will convene at one of the pools for a swim, and people can order cocktails and appetizers if they want, then Bethany is serving a cake for me at 6 p.m. That sounds like more of a party than I would even want at the blaah age of 44, but it was fun to send out a group text invite. I don't think mobiles have that capacity in the U.S.

As for work, I told you I have been in charge of editing the norms, and I hope I will have a lot of input in creating the mission statement. I have put together a skeleton framework of a curriculum for my third grade kids, and I have a bunch of classroom management tools on my computer from the previous job. One of the big education gurus of classroom management is Harry Wong, and I have been to a lot of his trainings and have read his book. So, it was kind of nice to be ahead on one item here, as we're adopting his philosophies at RAK American School. One area of obvious challenge for me is technology. I am determined to get better this year at the phones/computers/i pods/cameras, promethian board for classrooms, etc.

There will be more chrons. on Sam's foray into the British curriculum, which is referred to as the National Curriculum. Not nearly as touchy-feely as American Schools. I had left my phone number for Sam's teacher, but she never called me. That would NEVER happen in the states. If a parent left me a message to call, it became top priority, but their system is different. Anyway, I am pleased overall, even if I do feel out of Sam's educational loop because I am used to being right there. He should be transferring to my school before Christmas break.

One Month Overseas now...!

I am emailing back my regular emailers. I truly cannot stand not to have email at home, but Sam loves any excuse to come to the fort/hotel, so here we are again. Sam and I went to Oman today, with our friends Neena and Bethany. Bethany is the one I rent the car with, but by October 4, I will be renting my own. It was a very dry, dusty drive to the border, 45 minutes or so. We marvelled at the goats walking around in no man's land between the two countries. One poor befuddled goat with only one, long, curving horn, jumped up against the side of our car while we waited for the Oman border patrol to process our papers.

Basically, both countries collected a fee, we drove onto Oman tarmac, made a u turn, and came back through the UAE border. It was blistering hot, and Sam kept asking ,"Why are we getting out of the car again?" in a whining way. Three stops, two fees, and a wasted day, but as today was the day our visas would run out, I feel good about my fresh stamp. With a little luck, I will have been processed as a resident by next month. If not, I know the drill!

Things have quieted down a bit. I spent the weekend helping the departing teacher to pack her belongings. Her spirits were good, and I think she will find another job. She has a ton of experience, and apparently this short stint here goes unrecorded. While I was typing this a phone text came in. My babysitter just got a permanent job, which means she will not be working for me any more. I have plans to visit this new British school tomorrow. Please keep your fingers crossed that they will find a spot for Sammy. If he could start on Tuesday, I would be thrilled. I want him in school, and I don't want to have to miss any work to solve the babysitting issue. Well, I will keep this one short.

I am forgetting stuff, but Sam just arrived in the business office with an alarmingly large bag of candy, and I must investigate the where and the why of this. He is also extremely excited because a guest just arrived at the hotel in a helicopter surrounded by a cadre of security guards, "with real pistols!" said Sam.

photos

Week Three

Hi everybody: I can get on the internet with my computer every day at work for a few minutes, but I type pretty slowly, and I have been spending my time corresponding with the CEO's secretary, as I decide whether or not to rent or buy a car, and whether I want a new or used car, cost of insurance, etc. Every time I think I have made a decision, we get one more piece of information. I'll let you know what happens.

Right now I have a signal at my house, but Sam is bugging me every minute, so I am having a hard time finding a time to email. If I continue to be able to pirate off someone else's signal at night, I will be able to do a better job of staying in touch. We are supposed to have our own email at home by the end of the week, but I find in general, things take longer, so I will let you know when I am up and running online on a daily basis. Today is the first day of Ramadan. Our work hours will be shortened throughout the month of September. We still don't have a date set for when the school will open, but my guess is mid-October. Sam will miss a bit of second grade, but I figure what he is gaining in multicultural experiences will make up for the loss. And we read every night before bed, of course.

Right now at work we are working on setting up a curriculum, a mission statement, norms for the staff, and we are giving each other professional development workshops. I will do a mini presentation on reading strategies and how to run a book fair. We get daily classes in survival Arabic. I have a terrible ear and memory for this language! I hope it will improve. Of course everyone we are dealing with speaks English, but I still want to try. Sam will have rudimentary Arabic as well. He seems to have no ear either, unfortunately.

As we predicted, Sam has many, many friends here. There is the doting school staff of women, and all the workers here at the resort. Sam has the director of transportation at Al Hamra's phone number programmed into his phone, in case he is ever in a bind and needs a ride in the resort in one of the staff taxis. He has befriended all of the security guards at the check-in point for the resort and goes down there (it is right next to my apt. building, and I can see him from the balcony) and drinks coffee with them and talks about various things. He also has friends at the fort, where the luxurious rooms are, and he's toured the fanciest suites with the cleaning staff. The cake eating in the front lobby is slowing down, thank goodness, as funding this hobby is not cheap. He has a new bike, and his old scooter. He has been hired by some of the school staff to take heir trash out for a dirham a pop (25 cents), so he's making some money. He also bought a sqeegee and is offering to do windows and "organize" people's belongings, but no takers on these services as of yet.

It is still quite hot, but not unbearable. We do laps at 6 p.m each night, and I add two each time, so I am up to 30. I have had two get-togethers on my balcony, which is the only one to face the golf course (right below), lagoon (across the street), and the sea (1 mile away).

I am enjoying the other hires. There are various alliances forming, but I remain unencumbered, as a single parent. The vice principal, Donna, has married an Emirati (unusual) and we are becoming friends. She and her husband have a 2 year old boy, much treasured, and I have gone over to their house to help them unpack and to eat supper. Sam's teacher Rachel is a lively Canadian, and we do laps together. There is an American librarian who I go to for professional expertise. I especially like a 28 year old woman who has taught overseas in two posts and grew up in Lebanon. She is from Georgia, originally, but doesn't seem American. She is fluent in Arabic, and sweet and gentle, also kind to Sam, which is always a plus. I get more phone calls and texts here than I care to answer, so my social life has speeded up considerably since my lazy summer days in Paonia, when the only game in town was a trip across the railroad tracks to visit Mary. And a good game that was! But this is nice too.

I am cooking more as well. The way that food is presented in supermarkets here is more conducive to cooking. Lots of spices and tempting fruits and vegetables, plus I have a tiny freezer, so processed foods won't fit. Sam likes his Filipino babysitter, Arlen. They enjoy ironing together, and watching cartoons. Sometimes they go to the pool. Sometimes they walk up to the fort. She has a phone, and so does he, so even though I am in meetings several miles away, I can get a hold of him quickly. He called me the other day, while I was in a more formal meeting, I might add, to tell me he had located the secret pork room at the back of Spinney's supermarket near our house. He was excited to find that they had his beloved bacon. I noted the sign when I saw it, PORK ROOM NON MUSLIMS ONLY. There is everything pork in there, including Cambell's pork and beans. It is kind of a trip. So is the secret door next to Spinneys, innocuously labelled SP Beverages, with an array of alcoholic beverages, if you can brave the nondescript storefront.

Sam is pretty desperate for me to stop this nonsense typing. He's a guy of action, and I am a part of the plan, apparently. We miss you guys. It is so different here, that it is hard to make the connection home. But I miss the mountains, and friends, and family. It is such an abrupt stop between the old way of life and the new. A plane ride away... Now I think I understand a little better how Meg and Ted might feel. We are happy and comfortable, and well taken care of (a cleaning lady comes in two days a week, and Sam's babysitter irons everything, from our clothes, to fitted sheets and Sam's ties!). We are happy, but still exprerience some culture shock, for sure. I hear it is worse returning home, after a year overseas. I am making a little mental list of things I like better here, like the tupperware! I know that sounds kind of stupid, but it seals shut in such a practical way, with little locks on all four sides. We should have this invention back at home!