Ahhhhhhbu Dhabi

View just before landing.

Arriving in Abu Dhabi was a bit surreal to say the least.  After landing and making contact with the travel agency who would be transporting me, I waited at the airport for about two hours for the rest of the group to arrive.  Once we were all there, all as in 30 or so, we were loaded on to any number of vans and transported to the hotel.  This for me a an amazing start to the trip in comparison to London, so I was feeling okay.  The first week was filled with meetings, doctors appointments, more meetings, more appointments, and loads of information flying at us from all directions.  Within the first two hours of orientation I found out I would be placed in the Western Region of Al Gharbia.  

Oh, did I forget to mention that I had no idea where I'd be teaching...yep.  I was under the impression that I'd be teaching in Abu Dhabi, and I am, the state of Abu Dhabi, but not the city.  Ahhhhh, technicalities! I'm living about 2.5 hours outside of Abu Dhabi City in a small town called Ruwais.  Technically, again, they get you with the technicalities, it's not actually a town or city, it's a province or settlement that has sprung up to house the oil company employees and their families.  It is modern, featuring a movie theater, bowling alley, ice skating rink, STARBUCKS!!!!!, ColdStone Creamery, and several other shops...all located inside the mall.  Think Karcher Mall but much more impressive to look at from the outside, and much less depressing inside.  Okay forget Karcher Mall.

Mammas and babies!

The town I actually teach in is called Al Sila.  It is about an hour or so away from Ruwais and is a little fishing village located very near the boarder of Saudi Arabia.  I driver to work every morning and pass any number of men putting their camels out to graze on the sagebrush and bits of grass along the highway. They are beautiful and every-once-and-awhile, I can see the silhouettes of a small herd being run in the distance.  Often on my way home from work on Thursday I will pass any number of trucks transporting camels to Abu Dhabi.  All I'm generally able to see is a camels head or two poking above the truck, lips flapping in the wind.  It's pretty cute.  I've heard they are feisty bastards, but I've kept my distance and prefer to think of them as sweet and endearing creatures. Um, and they have Camel beauty contests here.  YEP!  More on that later.   

The school I'm teaching at is called Bayah.  It is an all girls school in which I teach 6th grade English.  I have three groups of girls A, B, & C.  They are from all over the world and are the most loving and ornery bunch of girls I've ever had the pleasure of teaching.  I have students from all over the world, including Sudan, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and The UAE. This has been one of the most challenging undertakings I've ever embarked on, but I do not regret it for one minute.   The school is square with classrooms all around the outside and a huge canopied courtyard in the center.  Every morning the girls line up in the courtyard for assembly.  They look so smart in their uniforms with their Shaylas covering their heads.  My girls are the youngest in the school and some are a good foot and a half shorter than me.  When I first came the girls stared at me and told me I was beautiful and wanted to hold my hand or touch my face.  Even the Arabic teachers gestured to each other about my face or skin and smiled in approval.  The older girls would seek me out to tell me that I was cute or that my eyes were beautiful.  They are full of questions and are not shy about asking.  If I wear something that they particularly like, the material of my sleeve is felt throughout the day.  It's a strange feeling to be such a novelty.  It will wear off soon, I'm sure.