My First Day

     Jet lag had the best of me last night.  I didn't sleep a wink.  Just when I became tired, I had to get up and start my day.  The school gave me 24 hours as an adjustment day to rest, but I had arrived late and wanted to stay up all day, to combat my jet lag.  So, I decided to travel to the HR office today.  I hired a cab from the hotel, and ventured to the Glenelg School of Abu Dhabi.  I was a bit nervous, tired, and excited. 
     When I arrived at the building, I was a bit confused, but eventually found my way.  The office was bulging with new hires.  Throughout the chaos, I received my paperwork and exchanged information with an HR rep.  I was told that I needed to complete two medical exams and apply for my Emirates ID on my own.  I was very disappointed that I would not receive transportation to and from these locations and that I would have to pay upfront for the cost.  As I was new to the city and region, I felt overwhelmed with this daunting task.  I was not familiar with the area and would have to rely on the cab driver to get me to my destination, without over charging me. 
     As luck would have it, I met numerous teachers during my wait in the office.  Among these teachers was a wonderful couple that was staying in my hotel.  They too, needed to complete employment process and had asked if I would like to join them and share the cab fee.  I could not have been more delighted. 
     Our first stop was the Abu Dhabi Marina mall to apply for the resident visa.  The process was tedious.  I was given a number and had to wait for about two hours.  Once the number was called, I handed my form to an employee, who then entered my information into a database.  He completed this all while chatting on the phone, in between a conversation with his co-workers.  Following this, I paid 275 AED and in return received my registration. 
     Afterwards, I was exhausted and shared a cab ride back to my hotel....Where I had a fabulous meal, in my room.