First Day Jitters

     The first day of school comes with so many expectations.  I am meeting most of my parents for the first time and they are expecting a well put together teacher, that is friendly, knowledgeable, and goal-oriented.  I hope that I meet these expectations. 
     After many hours spent finding the right outfit (a floor-length dress and cardigan), I reviewed my "first day script."  I went over every aspect of my classroom policies and management.  I reviewed my student teaching notes (I had kept a journal) and remembered the mishaps of the first day of First Grade.  The tears, screams, and parent-student separation anxiety.  The confused look in the student's eyes.  The gentle push for the parents to leave.  I remembered it being a whirlwind and the same was to happen today.
     The parents dropped their children off promptly and delivered them to the room, as the buses are not running yet.  There were about five students that shed tears and plenty that were stifling their sniffles.  I was assigned a teacher's aide who will be with me throughout the day, all year and an aide for the morning (for the first week).  They have been a huge help.
     My student population is from all around the world.  I have students from India, Philippines, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the UAE.  It is a wonderful group that brings together many cultures and traditions.  I have 27 students total, which is a large group for first graders.  I am fortunate to have an attentive and lively group.  I am looking forward to a year filled with excitement and growth.

Room 1B

   After a day's rest, I reported to the school.  I was very anxious to see my classroom and to become familiar with the layout of the school.  To my surprise, the school was very large!  The entire ground floor was dedicated to the Kindergarten rooms, Art, PE, and Music.  The first floor housed grades 1-5.
     The Glenelg School in Ruwais was built in 2010 and this is the third year that it will be open.  With this said, the school is practically brand new.  The halls are covered in beautiful murals, all rooms are equipped with a promethean board, and there are two large computer and science labs.
     The staff represents countries from all over the world, making the school a diverse teaching environment.  Grade one, for example, has five teachers on the team.  We represent Canada, the US, Great Britain, and Australia.  Each of us will bring wonderful ideas and theories from our personal backgrounds, and I can't wait to work with this team.
     Today, along with the rest of the week, will be spent in meetings.  Between my free time, I have managed to set up my classroom.  It was a long process, trying to decide where the shelves and cubbies would go, how many groups of desks, and where the morning meeting should be held.  There should be a course on this in college.  But after much hard work, I finally had a great classroom set-up.

Temporary Accomodation

   
      Upon arrival in Al Ruwais, after an emergency stop for use of the lavoratory, we were brought over to the Recreation Center.  The Rec Center is the main hang out in Ruwais.  It has a pool, tennis courts, cinema, table tennis, internet cafe, and a restaraunt.  However, I should point out that it is strictly for males.  The pool and table tennis areas are only used by men.  Women will have to use a seperate Women's facility, located closer to my school.
     After entering the restaraunt, we were greeted by my school's principal.  She was very warm and welcoming.  She was available to answer any of our burining questions and explained the housing arrangements.  So here goes:
     The school was not ready for our arrival.  Therefore, the furniture was not ordered for our apartments.  Also, the school is not ready to accomodate singles (teachers that have chosen single accomodation), so we will be staying in Guest Housing until everything is sorted.  Due to the absence of a cooker and washing machine, we will be given all meals and laundry services for free in the Rec Center.
     All in all, this was not a bad idea.  Considering how short I am with money, it was perfect.  It relieved a lot of stress, especially when I didn't know how I was going to buy food.
     Shortly after lunch, we were bussed to our temporary location.  It is located right across from the school, so finding transportation will not be an issue.  Also, Ruwais Housing Complex provides a free public bus, so I will be able to have transportation to the grocery store and the Rec Center.
     My temporary housing is perfect, minus a refridgerator and a stove/oven.  It is perfect for a single adult.  There is a grocery store and dry cleaners, right behind the building and the new teachers all reside here.  For now, this will be home.

Kitchen

Living Room/Dining Room

Bathroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Road to No Where

  
     Today, I boarded a school bus with the final destination: Ruwais.  There were about ten new teachers on the bus and we were all showing signs of our anxiety to see our new home for three years.  There were many questions that I would finally find the answer to:  How big is my town?  What is the social life like?  What will my school look like?  How big is my apartment?
     I had tried to research the area prior to my arrival, but to no avail, I found nothing.  There were a few pictures that I did manage to sift through, but what I found was not very exciting.  The threads were also very discouriging.  There was not one positive comment on the Ruwais Housing Complex.  Many people commented that it was surrounded by sand, with nothing to do.  Many people stated that they only could live there for one year.  After much persistance, I found one piece of information that I have been holding onto: " If you live in the country and like the laid back lifestyle, than you will survive living in Ruwais.  If you grew up in the city, steer clear of this town.  You won't be able to survive."
     My future principal had put me in touch with a co-worker, who has been more than happy to answer my questions.  But after many brief conversations, I still had not found an answer to a buring question:  Will I be able to survive in Ruwais?
     I dozed in and out of the two hour ride.  Each time, peering out my window and seeing nothing but....sand.  I couldn't help but think, "what did I get myself into now."

      

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan Mosque

    
     Today was one of the first clear days since I have arrived.  The humidity level is down and Wendy, Rosalee and I decided that it was the perfect day to visit the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.  I had driven past the mosque multiple times and the sheer magnitude of it from a distance was very impressive.  The view up close was even better.

        Upon researching the Grand Mosque, I had read that woman were supposed to wear a floor length dress with arms completely covered.  I chose to abide by the rules and wore the appropriate attire, only to find out that you have to wear an abbeya (black cloak) and a shayla (head covering).  I was always curious about the comfort and breathability of these items.  Well, I found the answer. 

I was still showing a little skin!

  First, I was taken to a seperate dressing room from the men and entered a very busy room.  Two women were busy handing out abbeya and fitting the shayla to the westerners heads.  We were absolutely clueless and it was quite surprising that we needed to wear this attire.


     At 10:00 sharp, the free tour began.  Our tour guide was great and she spoke wonderful English.  The tour started outside, where we learned about the design of the mosque, materials used, and time taken to complete the project.  As I was listening to an earful of information, I was highly distracted by the heat and sweat pouring down my back.  I realized that the abbeya acts like an oven and I was cooking inside.  It definetly does not breathe very well and the heat could not escape my head.  I was relieved when I was able to go into the mosque and have my bare feet touch the cool floor and air con in my face. 

   
 The inside of the mosque is gorgeous and very large.  The project was thought of by the late Sheikh Zayed - the "father" of the UAE.  It holds up to 40,000 worshippers and has more than 80 marble domes on its roofline.  The main prayer hall houses the world's largest Persian carpet, which took 2000 craftsman two years to complete.  The main dome’s outer shell measures 32.8 metres in diameter and stands at a height of 55 meters from the inside and approx. 85 metres from the outside - the largest of its kind.
  



     The Mosque has just over one thousand (1,000) columns in its outer areas which are clad with more than 20,000 marble panels inlaid with semi-precious stones, including lapis lazuli, red agate, amethyst, abalone shell and mother of pearl. The 96 columns in the main prayer hall are round in shape and inlaid with mother of pearl.

      The Qibla wall, on the other hand, is 23 metres high and 50 metres wide, and is subtly decorated so as not to distract worshippers from prayer. The 99 names (qualities) of Allah are featured on the Qibla wall using traditional Kufi calligraphy and are subtly back-illuminated using fibre-optic lighting. Twenty-four carat gold, gold leaf and gold glass mosaic were also used in the mehrab (the niche found in the middle of the Qibla wall) and the crescents topping the domes.

 

     I was most impressed by the world's largest chandelier, weighing over 9 tonnes and has thousands of Swavorski crystals.  Also, the main door weighs 2.2 tonnes.
 











After the tour, you are able to ask any question to the tour guide.  I was even was able to talk one on one with her.  I would recommend this site to anyone.

Heritage Village

 

Across from the Marina Mall is a tiny cluster of buildings worth sweating over.  I arrived at the Heritage Village at 5:00.  Due to part of the museum being outside, it is closed from 1-5.  And trust me, you do not want to be outside at this time.  It is unbearable!  It was still about 111Fand very humid when I arrived, but I was determined to see how the Bedouins lived prior to modernization and air conditioning. 

     When I entered the village, I beared right and was shocked to see a miniature replica of a desert village…With a live camel and Arabian horse in the center!  Although overwhelmed by the presence of a camel, I contained myself and walked among the desert housing, in awe of the construction and innovation.  The Bait Al sha’ar, for instance, was made of the combination of the hair of goats and sheep in order to achieve strength and consistency.  It was used in the cold days of winter and has various sizes according to the number of family members residing within it. 

Another house used during the winter months, The Bait Al ewany, is made of sackcloth, instead of animal products.  The support beams in the house were made from branches of Al-sabt and Althmam trees.  The design of the house was focused around keeping a moderate temperature inside.  To sustain this environment, branches of the Al markh tree surrounded the house, regulating the temperature within.

     Past the tent displays, were structured houses.  The first, Bait Al hassa, or the Mountain’s People House, was inhabitated by the people of the eastern mountain region.  The Al shuhuh tribe is commonly associated with this construction and used pebbles to moderate the temperature of the house.  The ceiling of the house is made of palm tree fronds, thickened by adding clay.  The result is a ceiling that is sealed from the rain and a barrier from the sun. 

     After my bout with history, I could no longer resist the camel.  Of course, I had to pet it, crabby as it was.  The trainer, prompted it to get up with a few guttural noises and slashing of a stick.  The camel responded by displaying its rotten teeth and making a loud fuss.  Once the camel was on all fours, I was shocked by the sheer height of it.  It towered over me and I was afraid that it would bite me.  But the trainer insisted, through broken English, to stand near its head.  With reluctance, I placed my head near the oversized mouth of the camel.  Looking back, I don’t know if I will do that again.

 

As I walked along throughout the Bedouin encampment, I noticed a beautiful contrast between the old UAE and the new.  The view was of a replica of an old fishing village and the new modern/post oil Abu Dhabi.  It was breathtaking.